Location-based firearm

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A location-based firearm is a gun that can only fire in approved places, using electronic tech like geofencing to protect people and property and to prevent misuse elsewhere.

The idea dates back to 1984, when John Martin invented the first locationized gun. Even though these guns could reduce crime and save lives, they were never developed for sale.

One big reason is legal: changing regular guns to be location-based would require new laws, and those laws are hard to pass in many markets.

What’s good about location-based guns? They let people defend homes and businesses while making it hard to use the gun for crimes far from those sites. They can connect with cellular networks or other systems to share information, be remotely controlled, or be prevented from firing.

GPS tracking could help owners or police find a gun if it’s moved, and police could learn when and where it was fired, aiding investigations. They could also automatically stop the gun from firing if it’s stolen, involved in a raid, a shootout, or under a restraining order.

Different designs exist. Some require the gun to stay motionless for a long time (about 24 hours) before it can be fired; once moved, there’s only a short window (about 5 minutes) to fire before another motionless period starts. After firing, the gun must go back to the motionless state to be usable again, keeping it near its usual location.

Another idea uses a fixed transmitter that must stay in place for a long time and sends a signal that lets firing happen only within a defined area. This system can use GPS or cellular signals to verify the gun’s location.

In summary, location-based guns aim to balance the right to defend property with safeguards against crime, but regulatory and market challenges have kept them from widespread use.